Reversible latch control



March 13, 1928. 1,662,485

T. P. ARCHER ET Al.

REVERSIBLE LATCH CONTROL Filed July 29, 1925 A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 13, 1 928.v

-UN1TIED STATES 'lafrau-Tl,ol-"FICE".`

'rnoxAs I. Ancnnn AND FRANK u. ane-Aa, or nn'raoIT, MICHIGAN; AssIeNoItslro 'rnnNsrnn'r MANUFACTURING conrANY, or nE'raoIr, vMICHIGAN, AvcoaIoBA- TION Ol'. IICHI'GAN.

:anvnasmnn LArcn coN'rnon Application mec my as, 192s. serial No.46,839. Y

, This invention relates toa remote control latch, and has for itsobject the provision vof a control and pull to unit which 1s reversibleso as to permlt of a `right or left hand asf l sembly in an automobilebody.

The reversible -means incorporated in the control unit is ve quicklyassembled therewith in either a right or left hand position, therebymaterially speeding up the production in automobile body assembly.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a remote control foran Vordinary door latch.

Figr2 is an elevation of the control unit showlng the same reversed.

Fig. V3 is a flan view of the control unit disassembled rom theautomobile body.-

Fig. 4 is a vertical section onl the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In an automobile door there is contained the usual automobile door latchwhich includes a front plate a which sl'idably supports the latch boltb, yieldingly pressed outwardly by the spiral spring c. There is alsosupported by the front plate the usual roll back d. The latch bolt b, isprovided with the beaded lug f, which may be engaged by the draftImember g. This draft member g is provided with an elongated. slot h atone end which may be slipped overv the head of the l'ug f and thentwisted around to engage under the head of the lug. This means ofattaching the draft member to the bolt is described in the applicationof Heintz land Archer, Ser.- No. 15,174, filed March 13, 1925. Thisconnection permitsv the spring c totake up any lost motion between thedraft member and the latch bolt. At a remote point from the locking unitplate z', having secured thereto the housin This housing issubstantially U shape in cross section and is secured to the plate 1 inspaced relation therewith. The housin and plate are provided with thebearings and m respectively for rotatably supportin the stud n. A handleois secured to one en of the stud and the actuator arm p is secured toan intermediate portion of said stud within the housing and projects upthrough the housing, the upper end of which is provided with a stud qhaving an enlarged head r. T he draft member g is provided with the is,located a control unit whichincludes a.

which the same there and preventing rattling ofwel" elongated slot sat-the end opposite the slot h, and this slot is. adapted to be fittedAover the head r and twisted through a small arc to lool: the draftmember to the stud q by engaglng the same under the head r. Ananti-rattling spring t is interposed between the disc u and the actuatorarm in order to prevent any rattling between the arm and the draftmember. The stud n is projected through the housing and 'is,slotted, asat a. A sprln "w is arranged to be detachably anchored 1n the slot c,the other end of said sprmg arranged to be anchored to the laterallyprojecting ear :v by simply hooking the .spring over the edge of theear.

Fig. 1 shows the assembly' of this spring w, which exerts a` pressure onthe actuator arm b, tending to throw the same to lthe rlght, or aclock-wise direction. In Fi 2 the spring is reversed and the spring t usexerts a yielding pressure on the actuator arm in the oppositedirection.

This spring is very easily detached from engagement with the stud n andear w for the purpose of reversing its positionA by slippmgit outof theslot 'v and turning 1t p over 180. This converts the control unit 80into either a right or left hand unit, which 'j j permits the useof thecontrol unit either on the right o r left hand side of the automobileVThe use of such la detachable and reversible spring permits themanufacture of a control unit which may be used either as a right orleft hand unit by merely `reversing theposition of the spring. Thepull-to and latch handle o may `be placed in the stud n at .any-positionby reason of the serrations y and t e nut a.

The spring w forces the actuator arm over until the same strikes againstthe housing serves as a stop, thespring holding the arm against thisstop. This also prevents any looseness in the spindle causing rattling.The slot .s in the draft member g socket. Obviously one'of the,A slots,e or h 105 could be omitted, but a more practical and bile doors of theclass having a latch unit, a

- remotely positioned control unit and connections therebetween, acontrol unit provided with an actuating handle and a reversibly operablesingle acting actuator arm to permit of a right or left hand assembly ofsaid control unit.

' 2. In a remote control latch for automobile doors of the ,type havinga latch unit, a remotely positioned control unit and connectionstherebetween, a control unit provided with an operating handle, anactuator arm, and a spring for resisting movement of said handle in onedirection, said spring being reversible to permit of a right or lefthand assembly of said control unit.

3. In a remote control latch for automobile doors of the type having thelatch unit, a remotely positioned control unit and connectionstherebetween, a control unit provided with an actuator arm and yieldingmeans for resisting the movement of said actuator arm in one direction,said yielding means being reversible to permit the same to engage theactuator arm for resisting the movement of the actuator arm in theopposite direction to permit of a right or left hand assembly with saidconnections and latch unit.

4. In a remote control latch for automobile doors of the type having alatch unit, a control unit and connections therebetween, a control unitprovided with an actuator arm and a spring for resisting the movement ofsaid actuator arm in one direction, the' said spring being reversiblymounted in said control unit to permit the spring to engage the actuatorarm for resisting the movement of the actuator arm in the oppositedirection to permit of a right or left hand assembly of said controlunit.

5. In a remote control latch for automobile doors of the type having alatch unit, a control unit in connection therebetween, a control unitincluding a plate, an actuator arm pivotally supported tiereby, andyieldable and reversible means engaging the actuator arm for resistingthe movement of the actuator arm in either one of two directions topermit of a right or left hand assembly of said control unit.

6. In a remote control latch of the type having the latch unit, acontrol unit, and connections therebetween, a control unit including aplate, an actuator arm pivotally supported on said plate, and a springhaving one end detachably anchored to the actuator arm and the other enddetachably anchored to the plate for resisting the movement of saidactuator arm in one direction, said spring permitted to be detached andreversed for resisting the movement of the actuator arm in the otherdirection to permit of a right or left hand assembly of said controlunit.

7. In a remote control latch of the type having a latch unit, a controlunit and connections therebetween, a control unit including a plate andhousing secured thereto, a stud pivotally supported in said housing andprojecting through the housing, an actuator arm carried by said stud,and a. spring having one end detachably secured to said stud and theother end detachably anchored to said housing for resisting the movementof said actuator arm in one direction, said spring permitted to bereversed for resisting the movement of the actuator arm in the otherdirection to permit of a right or left hand assembly of said controlunit.

8. In a remote control latch of the type having a latch unit, a controlunit and connections therebetween, a control unit provided with anactuator arm and reversible`- means detachablv secured thereto foryieldingly resisting themovement of said actuator arm in one direction.thesaid means when reversed resisting the movement of said actuator armin the opposite direction which permits of a right and lett handassembly of said control unit.

9. In a remote control latch of the type having a latch unit, a. controlunit, and a draft member connecting the latch and control units, a draftmember provided with a slot on one end to provide a lost motion connection between the latch and control units, said control unit includinga plate and a housing provided with an opening, an actuator armpivotally supported in said housing and projecting through the openingin said housing, and means for yieldingly resisting the movement of saidactuator arm in one direction` the lost motion connection between thelatch and the control units permitting said yielding means to normallyhold said actuator arm up against one end of the opening in said housingto prevent rattling.

10. In a remote control latch of the type having alatch unit, a remotecontrol unit and a draft member therebetween, n. remote control unitincluding an actuator arm adapted to be connected to one end of thedraft member, and an antirattling spring between said arm and draftmember to prevent rattling when the draft member and actuator arm areconnected together.

11. In a remote control latch of the type having a latch unit, a controlunit and connections therebetween, a control unit provided with anactuator arm and spring means holding the actuator arm at the limit ofits swing to prevent rattling thereof and of the spindle.

12. In a remote control latch of the type having a latch unit, a remotecontrol unit unit for preventing rattling of said arm and ani a draftmember for connecting the two its spindle. units, si. control unitcomprising an actuator In testimony whereof we have axed our 10 arm forconnection to the'draft member and signatures.

5 a laterally acting antirattling spring between said arm and draftmember, and a longitudi- THOMAS P. ARCHER. nelly acting spring means onsaid control FRANK `M. EDGAR.

